Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 121: To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she will review the entitlement to contributory pension in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31466/12]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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A person aged 66 years, who satisfies certain eligibility conditions, may qualify for a standard rate State pension (contributory) if the person concerned:

· has entered into insurable employment before reaching age 56.

· has at least 520 weeks full-rate PRSI contributions paid

· has a yearly average of at least 48 paid and/or credited full-rate contributions from 1979 to the end of the tax year immediately preceding their 66th birthday, or

· (for a reduced standard-rate State pension) has a yearly average of at least 10 paid/credited contributions from the date they commenced insurable employment to the end of the tax year preceding their 66th birthday.

Alternatively a person may be eligible for a reduced rate mixed-insurance State pension (contributory) if s/he has a combination of full-rate and modified rate paid contributions,

satisfies the eligibility conditions as outlined, and if the 520 contributions condition is satisfied by a combination of 260 full-rate (minimum) and 260 modified-rate contributions.

The person concerned applied for State pension on 8 May 2012. Her application was disallowed on 18 June 2012 as her PRSI record showed a total of 303 paid full-rate contributions, and an overall yearly average of 8 contributions only, from her commencement of insurable employment in November 1971 to 31 December 2012.

The Department's PRSI record for the person concerned includes the contributions paid by her during her employments over the period 1971 to 1974. The Department has recently written to the relevant school administration to confirm details of her employment in that school in 1968/69, and is awaiting a reply. On receipt of these details, her claim for State pension (contributory) will be reviewed.